of springfield



Feb. 3, 1931. F. c. HOLTZ 1,790,354

ELECTRIC/ALLY OPERATED RELAY APPARATUS Filed Dec. 13, 1924 Patented Feb. 3, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

FREDERICK C. HOL'IZ, OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB TO SANGAMO ELECTRIC COMPANY, 01' SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS ELECTRICALLY-OPERATED RELAY APPARATUS Application filed December 13, 1924. Serial 110. 755,764.

is to so design the apparatus that relatively feeble currents are required for its operation, for the purpose of insuring satisfactory operation over long periods of time with but little or no attention. I accomplish these objects as illustrated in the accompanying drawings and hereinafter described. What I regard as new is set forth in the claims. In the accompanying drawings;-

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view with some parts in distorted perspective illustrating one form of a paratus in which my invention may be em odied;

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are details illustrating changed positions of the parts; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective View showing the construction of one of the circuit controlling devices which constitutes a part of my improved apparatus as a whole.

In illustrating the practical application of my invention I have chosen to show it as used for the purpose of indicating at a distant point the registration of an electricity meter, but it will be understoodthat it may be employed for any other purpose for which it is suitable.

Referring now to the drawings for a description of the embodiment of my invention therein -il1ustrated,6 indicates a disc constituting the moving element of a watthour meter or other primarymoving element, and 7 indicates the usual worm spindle on which the disc 6 is mounted, so that rotation of said disc under the influence of the current to be measured rotates said spindle. In the arrangement shown, the spindle 7 is provided with a worm 8 that meshes with a worm wheel 9 secured upon a shaft 10 that also carries a cam disc or wheel 11, the peripheral portion of which is provided with a number of earns 12 similar to the teeth of a ratchet erably the entire cam wheel 11 is made of nonconducting material.

- Associated with the cam wheel 11 is a circuit controlling member in the form of a three-lead quick-acting contact device, the construction of which is best shown in Fig. 5. Said contact device comprises three spring contact members which are made of conducting material, and are supported by a nonconducting block 13, or other suitable means calculated to support them. in fixed position with relation to each other. As shown in the drawings,'the three contact springs, which are indicated by the reference numerals 14, 15, 16, respectively, are arranged in the same vertical plane and are spaced apart so that normally-they are out of contact with each other. e arrangement is such, however, that by deflecting one or another of said springs up tact with one or the other of the springs 14,

16, as will be more particularly hereinafter explained. The spring 14 is provided adjacent to its free end with a contact point 14" disposed at the under side thereof, while the spring 16 is provided with a similar contact point 16 disposed at the u per side thereof near its free end and in su stantial vertical alinement with the contact point 14. The spring 15 is provided at its upper and under sides with contact points 15", 15, the latter being indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 5, which contact points are arranged to be movable into engagement, respectively, either with the contact point 14 or the contact point 16".

The free end portions of the springs 14 and 16 are held in fixed relation to each other by a rod 17 of insulating material, the end bending down the end of said spring, 'andin parts are indicated by the same reference numerals. In connecting up the two circuit controlling devices the spring 14 of circuit controlling device A is connected by a wire 21 with spring 16 of circuit controlling device 'B, and spring 16 of circuit controlling device A is connected by a wire 22 with spring 14 of circuit controlling device B.

The spring 15 of circuit controlling device A- is connected to one terminal-lead 23 of an energizing circuit connecting to a suitable source of current supply. The other terminal lead 24 of such operating circuit is connected to one of the leads 25 of a'winding 26 of a suitable driving motor, the other lead 27 of which winding is connected to the spring 15 of circuit controlling device B. The driving motor, indicated as a whole by reference letter 0, comprises a rotary element or armature 28 actuated by the flow of current through the winding26,andprovided with an armature shaft 29 having a worm 30. Said worm meshes with a worm wheel 31 mounted on a shaft 32, which also carries a cam disc or wheel 33 similar to the cam wheel 11. The shaft 32 preferably carries also a pinion 34 that, through any suitable train of gears such as gears 35, 36 and pinion 37, drives shafts 38 and 39 carrying indicators 40, 41, respectively. The registering mechanism indicated by the shafts 38, 39 and indicators 40, 41 may be of any suitable type, such, for example, as that'commonly used in connection with meters for indicating consumption according to the decimal system.

, The cam wheels 11 and 33 rotate in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1, and the circuit controlling devices A, B are associated, respectively, with said cam wheels in such manner that the brushes 19, 20 thereof are adapted to ride on the peripheral portions of said cam wheels, as illustrated in the drawings. By comparison of Figs. 2, 3 and 4, which illustrate the several positions assumed by the contact springs of the two circuit controlling devices A, B, as the cam wheel, 11 or 33, of either of said devices rotates, it will be noted that when the parts are in the position shown in'Fig. 2 the brush20 rests on the tooth or cam 12, and the spring 15 hasbeen deflected upwardly by the contour of the cam to move away from the spring. 16 andtow'ardthefsprmg 14, so that contact is made between contact points 14 and 15. At this time brush 19 of spring 16 is out of contact with the cam wheel and therefore the springs 14, 16 are substantially in their normal position. As the cam wheel continues to rotate brush 20 will move off of the cam 12 and brush 19 will bear on it, as illustrated in Fig. 3, whereupon the resiliency of spring 15 will restore it to its normal position, and spring 16 will be moved up by the pitch of the tooth 12 on which it is riding, so that contact point 16 of sprmg 16 will engage contact point 15 of spring 15; thereby reversing the connections. The lifting of spring 16 also lifts spring 14, through the connection 17, which holds said springs a constant distance apart. When the cam wheel rotates far enough for the brush 19 to drop off of the cam 12 on which it has been riding, springs 14 and 16 will return to their normal position while, as brush 20 will then be riding on the incline of the next cam 12, it will be lifted so that its contact point 15 will move into engagement with contact point 14, as illustrated in Fig. 4. The con nections will, therefore, again be reversed. It is desirable that the cam wheel be so de signed and the lengths of the brushes 19, 20 be so proportioned that only one of said brushes will be in contact with the cam wheel at the same time. This enables the full spring pressure to be exerted in closing contact in either direction.

Referring now to Fig. 1, and bearing in mind the fact that spring 14 of circuit controlling device A is connected to spring 16 of circuit controlling device B, and that spring 16 of circuit controlling device A is connected to spring 14 of circuit controlling device B, it will be seen that when the parts are in the position shown in said figure there will be an open circuit between the leads 23, 24, since while contact is established. be-

tween springs 14 and 15 of circuit controlling device A it is brokenbetween springs 15 and 16 of circuit controlling device B; also while contact is established between springs 14 and 15 of circuit controlling device B it is broken between the springs 15 and 16 of circuit controlling device A. The motor C, therefore, will be idle as there will be no current flowing through the winding Assuming that the meterdisc 6 is being rotated by the flow of current through the meter,'the cam wheel 11 will in due time rotate far enough so that the brush 20 will drop oil the cam 12 on which it is riding,

whereupon the parts of circuit controlling device A Wlll assume the position shown in Fig. 3, thereby establishing contact between springs 15 and 16 of said circuit controlling device, At this-time, since the cam wheel 33 is driven by the motor C, which is then idl'e, the parts of circuit, controlling device B W111 st1ll be in the position shown in Figs,

. be established through the winding 26, the

flow of current being from wire terminal .lead 23 to spring 15 of A, thence to spring 16 and by wire 22 to spring 14 of circuit con-- trolling device B, thence to spring 15 of the latter circuit controlling device, thence by' wire 27 to the motor winding 26, thence by wire to the opposite terminal lead 24. Motor C will accordingly operate, thereby rotating cam wheel 33 until brush 20 drops off of the peak of cam 12 on which it is riding, assuming the position shown in Fig. 3. This will break contact between springs 14 and 1.5 of circuit controlling device B, thereby breaking the motor operating circuit, and at the same time will establish contact between springs 15, 16 of said circuit controlling device so that upon reversal of the connections through circuit controlling device A the motor will again start.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that so long as the meter continues in operation the motor operating circuit will be alternately opened and closed at intervals, and that at intervals corresponding to the rate of rotation of the disc 6 the indicators 40, 41 will be advanced a certain distance for each change of contacts in the circuit controlling which when used in conjunction with the watthour meter and its circuit controlling device serves to indicate the number of revolutions of the disc 6, since the indicators 40, 41 are advanced a definite amount for each multiple number of revolutions of said disc. The motor 0 is preferably a small induction motor, the stator of which comprises a single phase bipolar laminated field magnet on which is mounted a coil 26 that constitutes the primary winding of the motor, while the rotor comprises a magnetic core member made up of a plurality of laminations 42 and a s uirrel cage winding thereon consisting of ars 43 and end plates 44, which plates serve as end rings for the squirrel cage. A motor of this type may be operated with relatively feeble currents so that the satisfactory operation of the apparatus over long periods of time with but little or no attention is insured.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an electric registering device, the combination of a constantly actuated primary cam, a secondary cam electrically connected to said primary cam, a plurality of contacts actuated by said first cam to close said electrical connection, contacts on said secondary cam responsive to actuation of said cam, said contacts alternately opening and closing said electric connection, and motor means actuating said cam only when said connection is closed, said contacts bein so related that said motor drives saidsecon ary cam onlyfa short distance before its contacts break the circuit, rendering the motor inoperative until said primary cam engages a successive contact, causing said motor to again actuate said secondary cam for a short time.

2. In an electric registering device, the

combination of a constantly actuated primary cam, a secondary cam electrically connected to said primary cam, a plurality of contacts actuated by said first cam to close said electrical connection, contacts on said secondary cam responsive to actuation said cam, said contacts alternately opening and closing said electric connection, and motor means actuating said cam only when said connection is closed, said contacts being so related that said motor is actuated only once during two successive contacts of said primary cam, causing said secondary cam to rotate only once during two revolutions of said primary cam.

FREDERICK C. HOLTZ. 

